Cricketer Chris Cairns cooperates with police and ICC

Former New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns has confirmed that police and the International Cricket Council have contacted him in relation to an anti-corruption investigation.

In the four months since being linked by media to the investigation, Cairns, a former Canberra resident, has criticised the ICC for their lack of communication.

He said innuendo around his involvement had harmed his reputation and was affecting his career and family life. He maintains he has nothing to hide and will work with investigators in any capacity.

‘‘I can confirm that I’ve been contacted by the police and by the ICC and that I’ll be engaging with them over the coming days and weeks,’’ he told New Zealand’s Radio Sport. ‘‘I still don’t have any detail about the status or the nature of their inquiry.

‘‘I’m just pleased that the authorities are finally engaging with me after four months so that this matter can be resolved once and for all so I can get on with my life.’’

Cairns’ comments came after the arrest this week of English-based New Zealand barrister Andrew Fitch-Holland on suspicion of perverting the course of justice during the High Court libel trial Cairns brought against former Indian Premier League boss Lalit Modi 2012.

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Fitch-Holland appeared as a witness at the trial that Cairns won, defending himself against Modi’s claims that the former allrounder was involved in fixing while playing in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League in 2009.

Modi subsequently lost an appeal against the ruling which saw him forced to pay Cairns’ legal bills of $774,000.

Cairns says he knows nothing about the arrest of Fitch-Holland, which he only learned about through a newspaper report.

The Daily Telegraph reported that officers from Scotland Yard and ICC anti-corruption officials are understood to be continuing their investigation in New Zealand.

Two other former New Zealand players - Daryl Tuffey and Lou Vincent - have both admitted they are involved in the ICC investigation.Cairns was reluctant to comment further other than to describe the last four months as ‘‘hellishly frustrating’’.